Nismo stock rotors vs slotted/drilled

[Jinxx]

I was wondering if changing to slotted rotors is worth the upgrade for a 2015 nismo...really surprised the nismo didn't come with them in the first place ....I did install them on my 350z and seen a dramatic improvement and was wondering if it would be the same with the nismo.

[OptionZero]

I'm gonna call bull on "dramatic improvement" and believe you were just experiencing a placebo effect called "new parts i bought"

Slots or holes or there for heat, not raw stopping power. Stopping shorter comes mostly from better tires, although a larger caliper/rotor can also generate more leverage. Pad compound is also a significant factor, assuming they are at the right temperature

Slotted/cross drilled also eats pads faster. And if you get cheap slotted/cross drilled rotors that are poorly made, they will be more prone to cracking. IIRC high end ones are CAST with the holes or slots in them, so they're strong; drilling afterwards can make it less structurally sound, esp if done poorly.

I'm guessing you're driving around town and dont need anything but an OEM replacement.

Nismo Z's don't come with cross drilled rotors because Nissan wants the brakes the last, and the nismo isn't are hardcore track focused as you think. It's not a GT3 or something, its a 40k sports car, not 100k.

[Jinxx]

Originally Posted by OptionZero

I'm gonna call bull on "dramatic improvement" and believe you were just experiencing a placebo effect called "new parts i bought"

Slots or holes or there for heat, not raw stopping power. Stopping shorter comes mostly from better tires, although a larger caliper/rotor can also generate more leverage. Pad compound is also a significant factor, assuming they are at the right temperature

Slotted/cross drilled also eats pads faster. And if you get cheap slotted/cross drilled rotors that are poorly made, they will be more prone to cracking. IIRC high end ones are CAST with the holes or slots in them, so they're strong; drilling afterwards can make it less structurally sound, esp if done poorly.

I'm guessing you're driving around town and dont need anything but an OEM replacement.

Nismo Z's don't come with cross drilled rotors because Nissan wants the brakes the last, and the nismo isn't are hardcore track focused as you think. It's not a GT3 or something, its a 40k sports car, not 100k.

Well considering I was in a 2005 350z ...non nismo ...there was much better stopping power and cut my stopping distance down at least 25% I would call that "dramatic" .... taking all factors in account of old worn pads/rotors which had chatter while stopping .....and to be more accurate ...I stated I seen a dramatic "improvement" .....meaning overall from where I started .....that's why I asked the question based on a new nismo stock vs slotted/drilled if there would be a "improvement" ....... a simple no would have done .......and never assume how anyone drives there car based on a question

[OptionZero]

replacing worn out parts with ANYTHING less worn out will result in improvement

thats not attributable to them being cross-drilled, improvement is based on them being not ****

and why don't you tell us what driving you're doing?

are you racing multiple laps where you need heat dispersion? have you considered a pad upgrade? brake ducts?

educate us with your awesome racing career

must be a hell of driver that you don't even need to know what slotted/cross drilled rotors do

Instead of whining why don't you read what I wrote and apply ur brain power to figure out if this is what you actually need

[JARblue]

Totally unnecessary for street driving ... they simply create more brake dust.

There are guys that use cheapo auto parts store blank rotors on the track. If you really want improvement, get 2-piece rotors for the weight savings.

[OptionZero]

blanks also have more mass than slotted/cross drilled (obviously . . . since they don't have holes or slots taken out of them)

mass = heat spread out

[ban25]

Blanks are probably your best bet for stopping power. Stay away from drilled...those are for looks only. Personally, I use StopTech slotted rotors and they seem to be good for at least a dozen hard track days.

[Nithmo]

What everyone forgets is that drilled or slotted rotors actually reduce performance. Yep, I said it.

Why?

Because those slots or holes result in reduced surface area for your brake pad to contact. You WANT the most surface to surface contact. By adding those grooves, you're likely reducing 10-15% of contact area.

Cars like the M3/M4, or C63, or whatever performance car that comes with slots or holes from the factory are oversized to compensate for that lost surface area. Look at how huge their rotors are. Bigger rotors make up for otherwise lost area.

Beyond that, as everyone already pointed out, different rotors will never result in better braking, unless your existing ones were shot. Why would they? It's a metal surface vs another metal surface. Those grooves or holes will only help when your brakes are reaching high temps from extremely hard driving, and will result in less brake fade... But for city driving, you'll NEVER experience those kind of temps. So you're not gaining anything. You're actually losing surface area. That's it.

[cv129]

[OptionZero]

But they look cool

[Tick64]

Can anyone chime in who's got the Z1 2-piece drilled/slotted rotors but opted to keep the original brake pads? I'm curious how much more they actually eat through the pads. I'm willing to shell out a bit more on pads for the looks alone A reduction in rotating mass = bonus!

[Spooler]

They don't eat through pads. I have Carbotech XP8's all around with 2 piece slotted rotors all around. The turn in is better due to lower rotational weight.

[Tick64]

Thanks Spooler. Can't wait to get 'em!